WE ARE

A global communications agency built to grow brands through

Our approach to media is underpinned by a simple reality – advertising avoidance behaviours will continue to accelerate as new platforms and technologies emerge. This will result in the continued deterioration of paid media effectiveness over time as brands struggle with the pace they need to stay relevant.

We believe that the speed at which a brand interprets – and responds to – cultural data signals to improve its relevance with consumers is the key to success.

We call this Cultural VelocityTM.

What hasn’t changed in this fresh approach is our promise to deliver transformative business results. We do this by interrogating data and customer insights, stewarding your investments to drive efficiencies and savings with the utmost transparency.

WE

OUR PURPOSE

Why?

EMOTION

VALUE

LOYALTY

We believe in culture as a quantifiable connector of people, brands and business growth.

In a world where channels fragment, culture unifies and propels.

We deliver this through a full suite of communications services.

The four i’s in Initiative represent our four key stakeholders – our people, our clients, our partners and our consumers. We value these relationships above all else, and our promises to these groups are unwavering.

Initiative respects that everyone has something unique to contribute to the agency. We promise to listen to your ideas, harness your energy and support your passions. We want you to be yourself. At all times. Without compromise.

We exist to help our clients grow by building strong brands that transform from forgettable and regrettable interrupters to culture contributors and creators. We promise to be your partners in business successes and challenges. Most of all, we always champion and love your brands.

We promise to be the best agency partner in the business. We will be the best communicators – the most responsive agency with better briefs and detailed feedback. We build relationships on appreciation and recognition. We fuel innovation as the most open-minded agency.

Nothing we do matters if it doesn’t make each brand’s consumer do something. To our consumers, we promise to deliver compelling and valuable experiences. To not use our communications to interrupt you, but to facilitate frictionless brand experiences.

We are proud to call the following culture-driving brands our partners around the world.

We are proud to call the following culture-driving brands our partners around the world.

Mat Baxter

Global Chief Executive Officer

Mat serves as the Global CEO of Initiative. Since taking the reins of Initiative in August 2016, Mat has transformed Initiative’s product and structure to help brands take the initiative in culture. In that time, Initiative has been appointed as global media agency for leading brands like Amazon, LEGO, Converse and Carlsberg.
In late 2017, Initiative was ranked number 1 in the global media agency “Success Index” by internationally recognised agency ratings company, RECMA.
Previously, Mat served as the Global Chief Strategy and Creative Officer for IPG Mediabrands. He was responsible for expanding the network’s strategic offerings and creative product and marketing.
A true veteran of the industry, Mat was a co-founder of Naked Communications and also previously served as CEO of UM Australia. Under his leadership, UM became the country’s highest ranked and most awarded media agency, being named Australia’s “Media Agency of the Year” a record four consecutive years. The agency was also named “Global Media Agency of the Year” at the Festival of Media Global Awards in Rome, Italy, the first time an Australian agency had received this honor. Mat was also named by Campaign Magazine as CEO of the Year.
Mat has served as a board member for the International Advertising Association (IAA), Media Federation of Australia (MFA) and as Chairman of the Cannes Young Lions Competition.

Stefan Burford

Global Chief Strategy Officer

Stefan is an experienced and highly awarded communications strategist who has been working for over a decade on some of the world’s best brands. He started his IPG network life in 2011 as the Chief Strategy Officer of UM Australia and during his tenure won Campaign Magazine Media Planner of the Year as well as the Global Media Campaign of the Year at the Festival of Media. Stefan’s role involves leading the strategic vision of the group, championing creativity and culture, as well as driving innovation for clients.

Jarrod Martin

Global Chief Transformation and Data Officer

Jarrod makes sense of the incredible amount of data and analytics we have to provide intelligent and globally scalable solutions for our clients. He works to accelerate the shift towards digital, and automate internal processes that enable our agencies to work more efficiently with our partners, clients and the broader Initiative network. As data and analytics, along with the insights they create, are becoming increasingly important to business, Jarrod collaborates strongly with our clients, agency and specialty units leads and is a key member of Initiative's global leadership team.

Stephanie Solomon

EVP, HR Business Partner

Stephanie leads Human Resources for the global network. She has been with Inititiave since 2013, ensuring best practises while the agency continues to grow, expand and hire incredible talent.

Tom Rothenberg

Global President, RUFUS Amazon

Tom leads the Initiative global client practice; relentlessly focused on ensuring that all our teams around the world are 100% aligned to our clients’ business success. Over his agency career, he has partnered blue chip & fast growth brands to win in almost every major category, helping them to multiple awards including the EACA Effies Grand Prix. After taking a break from life at IPG to run & sell a mobile tech startup, he returned to Initiative to bring all his experience to bear for the excellent companies that we are lucky enough to call our clients.

Daniel Rubin

Global Chief Financial Officer

Daniel serves as the Global Chief Financial Officer of Initiative since August 2018, responsible for managing the financial operations of the network. Prior to joining Initiative, he held numerous strategic financial roles at Interpublic Group, including Financial Planning & Analysis, Treasury, and Investor Relations. Daniel has spent significant time working closely with executive teams on key operational and strategic issues, including compensation planning, cash flow forecasting and working capital management.

People are the true product of our agency. At Initiative, we create diverse and inclusive teams that are representative of the world around us, supported by a well-defined and strong culture.

That culture is one of empowerment. Everyone in the company has a voice and a role in developing our values and behaviours. Our culture extends into the way we recruit, train and develop our people, to ensure the best possible talent for our client partners.

People are the true product of our agency. At Initiative, we create diverse and inclusive teams that are representative of the world around us, supported by a well-defined and strong culture.

That culture is one of empowerment. Everyone in the company has a voice and a role in developing our values and behaviours. Our culture extends into the way we recruit, train and develop our people, to ensure the best possible talent for our client partners.

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